


Where Do We Go From Here? (Whisper What You Want in My Ear)

by PennanInque



Series: My Little Puppeteer [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Making Out, but there are still kisses, more plot than kisses, sin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 16:25:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5832499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PennanInque/pseuds/PennanInque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He held out her scarf.</p>
<p>Marinette’s scarf.</p>
<p>The one she had worn that morning.</p>
<p>The one she had last seen in Adrien’s fist.</p>
<p>Ladybug’s mouth opened and closed. Her eyes flitted from the scarf to Chat Noir and back. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears.</p>
<p>“Where…” She shook. “Where did you get that.”</p>
<p>He took a few steps forward, looking her dead in the eye. “From you.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where Do We Go From Here? (Whisper What You Want in My Ear)

**Author's Note:**

> This one is less stand-on-it's-own than the other parts of this series. I suggest you at least read Girl You're All the Rage before reading this.

Marinette’s eyes were locked on that section of the wall, the last place she had seen Adrien before he disappeared behind the lockers.

If seen was even the word.

He had bolted for the door so fast, by the time she had whipped her head around, she’d only caught the flutter of her scarf, still clenched in his fist, and the wisp of his hair vanishing around the corner.

His speedy departure had left a heavy weight in her belly but it was the look in his eyes that made her stomach roil. She’d never seen such turmoil in Adrien before, and certainly not such vivid anxiety.

Her hand slapped over the mark on her neck and she paled. He’d obviously seen it. He’d have to be blind not to. It was angry and red and his eyes had focused on it in a dazed stare for perhaps a moment too long. The colour had entirely drained from his face and his expression morphed from one of concern to one of… loss? Confusion? Surely there was a semblance of distress in the lines of his mouth.

And that was what terrified her.

She had started to get to know Adrien better over the past few weeks. Alya had been a big help, setting up group lunch dates with the three of them and Nino. Naturally Marinette still rambled on occasion whenever Adrien would ask her a question or send a comment her way, but their friendship had been steadily growing stronger. They chatted between classes, casually texted, and shared a few secret jokes.

But that look on his face…

The shock, the staring, the quick exit… She was sure Adrien was disgusted.

It felt like her heart had dropped into her stomach was being digested.

Adrien Agreste would never look at her the same way ever again.

* * *

 

He perched on the very top of the Eiffel Tower, transformed and crouched low to avoid swaying in the breeze as he took in Paris.

It was strange how the city seemed to have changed within a mere 24hours.

Yesterday, his Paris had been entirely compromised of sunsets, of red hues and encompassing darkness.

Now it was a crimson-sunned dusk, with blue skies and pink undertones.

It was baffling.

Naturally he knew that Ladybug had a civilian identity.

He’d inquired about it in the past and spent many nights conjuring up possibilities.

But she had requested for privacy and he had given it to her, falling even harder for the version of her she readily offered him when fighting crime.

He had no other face for her.

So he began to see only one girl, one Ladybug, the woman of his dreams who could have no other side to her but this fierce, independent spitfire.

But that mark on Marinette was proof he was wrong.

The revelation knocked over his perfect glass image of Ladybug and shattered her on the floor.

Marinette was clumsy.

Marinette was awkward.

Marinette was unsure.

He felt betrayed.

The wind blew across his face, ruffling his hair and swinging his tail.

He breathed it in long and hard.

Marinette was also kind.

He himself was not openly sly and agile as Adrien.

He was polite and soft-spoken at school.

As Chat Noir, he had the ability to be freer.

It was not unreasonable for Marinette to feel the same kind of freedom.

As he began to open his mind, he started to see the similarities.

Ladybug was strong. Marinette stood up to Chloe.

Ladybug showed passion. Marinette beamed while designing.

Ladybug had courage. Marinette protected her friends.

They were both caring, compassionate, generous, charming, faithful, loyal…

Beautiful, he realized.

He’d always thought Marinette’s eyes were a pretty shade, but he had always attributed the attraction to the resemblance of Ladybug’s.

The anxious knot in his belly untied and a small flame of happiness lit, slowly spreading and warming him from his core.

He smiled.

He’d been so blind.

* * *

 

Marinette trudged to her locker, miserable.

Adrien had been absent the rest of the school day and an unsettling feeling gnawed at her lungs. She felt hated, rejected, and alone. Of course she wasn’t _actually_ alone, Alya had been by her side the entire time, trying to coerce out of her friend why she’d let her hair down during the middle of the day. But Alya’s company could only soothe so much, and the horrible weight in Marinette’s abdomen was pulling her straight to the ground. She’d let Alya go ahead of her and now all she wanted to do was go home. Maybe eat a pint of ice cream. Or two.

Opening her locker, she reached to grab her empty lunchbag when her phone chimed.

Tikki poked her head out of Marinette’s bag, phone in hand. “It’s Chat Noir!”

Marinette snatched the device and swiped through her notifications. Chat had sent her a text.

_Meet me on our roof ASAP._

“There must be trouble,” Tikki said.

Marinette nodded in agreement and one ultra-quick closet-transformation later, Ladybug was swinging through the streets to meet her partner.

* * *

 

He was already there when she arrived, back turned to her and playing with something in his hands.

Ladybug slid to a halt on the roof, scanning for anything threatening. “What’s wrong?” she asked, slightly out of breath. “Where’s the danger?”

Chat turned to face her but kept whatever he was holding out of sight. “What danger?”

The tension released from her shoulders. She sent Chat a confused look. “You… you texted me. I figured…”

He gave her a wry smile. “You think I’d only contact you in case of an emergency, my lady? You should know me better than that by now.”

Ladybug folded her arms. “Your text was too vague. Excuse me for being concerned.”

His lips quirked into a grin. “You were concerned?”

Ladybug huffed. “So if there’s no danger, why did you want to meet?” She paused. “Chat, did you ask me here to—”

“I want to talk.”

“Oh,” she said lamely. “Like, _talk_ talk?”

“Yes.”

“Okay…” she said carefully, moving closer. “What did you want to talk about?”

Chat hesitated. He shifted back and forth on his feet for a while before swallowing a gulp and heaving a sigh. “I’m just going to cut to the chase.”

He held out her scarf.

Marinette’s scarf.

The one she had worn that morning.

The one she had last seen in Adrien’s fist.

Ladybug’s mouth opened and closed. Her eyes flitted from the scarf to Chat Noir and back. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

“Where…” She shook. “Where did you get that.”

He took a few steps forward, looking her dead in the eye. “From you.”

“Oh my god.” Her breaths were coming in pants, her palms were sweaty, she felt sick. “Oh my god... Adrien?”

He nodded, a blush across his cheeks. “Hey Marinette.”

She stumbled back until she hit the raised ledge of the roof. Her legs gave out and she collapsed to the stone. Her head hurt.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Chat Noir rushed to her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she managed, breathlessly. “It’s just… a lot to process.”

He nodded and moved to sit beside her. They sat in silence for a while, Ladybug struggling to breathe properly and Chat Noir patiently waiting for her to reel in her panic.

When the harsh rasp eased out of her exhales, he asked gingerly. “Are you disappointed?”

She looked up and caught his eye. He was watching her carefully with those green eyes of his. The Chat Noir eyes that she’d seen a thousand times before looking at her with adoration. The ones she trusted. The ones she was slowly falling for.

The ones that belonged to Adrien Agreste.

“No.”

He beamed.

“It’s just a lot to take in.”

His grin dropped a bit, but he still offered her an optimistic smile. “It’s okay, I understand. It took me a while to process it all too, when I pieced everything together.”

She slid him a timid glance. “Were _you_ disappointed _?”_ Her voice shook, afraid of the answer he would give.

“I wouldn’t say I was disappointed,” he said, “but I’ll admit I had a hard time with it. I think I idolized Ladybug too much to accept her being a normal person, really. It’s hard to acknowledge that the woman you put on a pedestal is someone you see in class every day. But I like her. And I like you. And I think you’re both amazing.”

She looked at him skeptically. “Really?”

“Of course,” he smiled. “I always enjoy seeing Marinette at school and spending time with her. I think she’s sweet and charming and _kind_.” He rested a hand on hers comfortingly. “And I really admire that.”

“You don’t think she’s spastic or awkward?” she asked nervously, peeking at their hands.

“Everyone is spastic or awkward sometimes,” he said. “It’s often endearing.”

She offered him a little smile before her eyes drifted back to their hands again, mesmerized. “I have a huge crush on Adrien, you know. As Marinette.”

He looked generally surprised and slowly, a warm flush came over his cheeks. He grinned through it. “That’s okay. I have a huge crush on Ladybug. Now we get to develop new feelings for the other half of the people we care about. And I’m really excited to get to know Marinette.”

“I thought understood everything about Chat Noir,” she admitted after a beat. “Charming and brave with not a care in the world. I trusted him to watch my back and I cared about him as a partner and then suddenly I started…” she trailed off and smiled instead of finishing her thought. “I think it’ll be nice to really get to know him. All of him.” Her paused and her lips quirked. “I suppose I’ll have to stomach all your awful puns now, won’t I?”

“They are a privilege, not a punishment, my Lady,” he teased.

They settled into a companionable silence, the air humming with delight at the turn of events and the acceptance on both their behalfs. They knew who each other were now, and there was no disgust, no aversion, just recognition. Ladybug was Marinette. Chat Noir was Adrien. Neither party was disappointed in the revelation; their crush was their friend. There were worse fates. And it certainly wasn’t unappealing to grow to love both halves.

They continued to sit together even as twilight turned to darkness.

Ladybug brushed her foot against his as she wiggled her feet back and forth. “So what do we do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” she said slowly. “I like you in one sense. You like me in another. Do we do something about it?”

A wily smirk set upon Chat Noir’s face. “Well to be fair, you seem to be attracted to the other part of me too,” he gestured to his slick cat-suit and then to her neck, “if that hickey is any indication.”

Ladybug’s face flamed and her hand flew up to cover the spot. “That’s not the point.”

“I think it is,” he said, his voice turning to a purr. “You like Adrien and you kissed Chat Noir. I like Ladybug and I kissed her too.” His breath ghosted over her ear. “And I wouldn’t mind kissing Marinette either.”

Ladybug’s expression turned as red as her costume. “Chat!” she cried, scandalized, then corrected. “Adrien, shouldn’t we take time to adjust? This is a huge development, we can’t just…”

“You don’t want to?” he asked, head tilting to the side.

She was silent for a moment. “I… I didn’t say that.” She shifted. “It’s just fast.”

“It is,” he nodded, “but it’s not complicated. I love Ladybug, yes. But I am not lying when I say that I like Marinette as well. I’m so glad you’re the same person.” He leaned closer. “I miss our moments together as Chat and Ladybug and I am anxious to see how Marinette will act when my lips are against hers and my fingers are in her hair.”

He smiled at her vermillion blush and glimmering eyes and reached up to play with one of her hair ribbons. “I won’t push you, of course, and I don’t want you to feel pressured. Just let me know when you’re ready to see how—”

Ladybug swelled forward and closed his mouth with hers.

She’d clearly missed their late-night rendezvous as well and was eager to re-enact it under the current circumstance of revealed identities and fervent crushes. She kissed him intensely, excited to be close to Chat once more and keen to delve into Adrien.

The reaction in Chat was immediate. He slid his hand from her pigtail and let it rest on the back of her neck, pulling her closer. She tasted just like he remembered, but with an added sweetness from the knowledge that she was Marinette. He wasn’t just kissing Ladybug, he was kissing his friend as well. The familiarity was a gracious salve to his aching yearn to uncover her identity. He really was incredibly grateful that the love of his life was the amazing, beautiful, brave, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

His mouth quickly traveled across her face and to her neck like always, trailing to his favourite places on her skin, the ones that made sweet, breathy noises fall from Ladybug’s lips.

But they weren’t just Ladybug’s anymore. They were also Marinette’s.

“I want to see you,” he said, pulling back.

Her chest heaved. “What?”

“Marinette,” he said. “I want to see Marinette.”

She looked frightened for a moment and Chat Noir almost scrambled off her for fear that he went too far. But he could see the struggle on her face as she wrestled with her anxieties and weighed the validity of the man before her truly accepting her two identities. From her hesitation before, he recognized that she considered Marinette to be the inferior version of herself and he knew from experience that it’s far more difficult to be brave without the mask.

He was about to take it back, tell her that it was okay for her to remain transformed, to reside in the safety of magic powers and spots, when a light flashed and Ladybug vanished.

Marinette was left in her place, cheeks pink and eyes downcast.

He took her chin and tilted her face up until her eyes followed and met his. He smiled brilliantly at her, heart thumping wildly. She smiled back.

“Hey,” he said.

She tucked her hair back. “Hi.”

And then he was back kissing her, arms wrapped around her torso and her neck, cradling her close. He stroked her sides and along her spine, peeking his eyes open every now and then to glimpse the faces Marinette made. It was certainly an eye-opening experience, and he was once again struck with how beautiful she was and how blind he had been. She was pressing into him with ardent enthusiasm and Chat was once again reminded of her passion and ladybug’s and how easily he knew he was going to fall for this girl.

She pulled back suddenly and he was left panting. “Your turn,” she said.

His head was still a haze of attraction and buzzing confusion from lost lips. “Huh?”

“I’ve wanted to kiss Adrien Agreste for a very long time. Are you going to deny me that?”

He smirked. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Princess.”

In a flash similar to hers, Chat Noir released his transformation and faced Marinette as her classmate, her friend, her crush.

Her eyes seemed to brighten, like seeing Adrien made all of this real. That her partner was really the man she was head-over-heels for, that the guy she cared about accepted all of her, that the world wasn’t always cruel and unfair and sometimes threw you a miracle with good-fortune and generosity.

Adrien cupped her face and stared at Marinette, his awe and excitement mirrored in her expression. He leaned in to kiss her softly and slowly on the lips before resting his forehead against hers. He held her close and her fingers gripped him tightly. Her breath warmed his neck and his wisped gently through her hair as he whispered to her.

“I have a very good feeling about our future, my Lady.”

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**Author's Note:**

> Primarily posted on my Tumblr. Feel free to follow http://missameliasmithers.tumblr.com/


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